June 4, 2018: Rep. Smith and Rep. Kaptur (D-OH) recently authored a bipartisan bill that will combat Chinese government influence on U.S. political and economic systems. According to the Washington Free Beacon, “The Smith-Kaptur bill would require a public, interagency report to Congress outlining the extent and focus of what U.S. officials have said are aggressive Chinese influence operations designed to promote Beijing’s policy and political narratives.”

The bill “Countering the Chinese Government and Communist Party’s Political Influence Operations Act of 2018” will require Confucius Institutes, Chinese government-funded institutions, that have locations on campuses across the U.S., to register as foreign agents. The bill calls for “developing a long-term strategy to counter Chinese political influence operations, censorship, propaganda, and disinformation targeting American democratic institutions, U.S. citizens,” reported the Washington Free Beacon.

Smith’s bill aims to protect U.S. institutions, government agencies and universities against influence from Beijing’s extensive espionage activities. Smith, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has been a committed defender of human rights and preserving U.S. political and economic interests from foreign intervention.